Method of limiting or eliminating unhealthy personal habits and apparatus thereof

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a drug free method and apparatus for defeating unhealthy personal habits based on the use of a container with a time driven access control system that allows the user to open the container storing the object of the habit or the means to access it only after a preset time interval expires. Optionally this time interval may be increased by a preset increment after each access to the container causing the time interval between the openings to grow gradually until the need of use of the object of the unhealthy personal habit is eliminated.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of Invention

This invention relates to a drug free method of defeating unhealthypersonal habits and its implementation.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

None

SEQUENCE LISTING

None

2. Description of the Prior Art

At present there are no methods of conquering unhealthy personal habitsother than cold-turkey, pharmacological or psychological.

Some of the leading unhealthy personal habits are: overeating leading toobesity or being overweight; cigarette smoking; excessive consumption ofalcoholic beverages; watching too much television; lack of regularphysical exercise; spending too much time online; excessive gambling;excessive use of credit cards; failure to save money; and sleep problemsrelating to one or more of the above.

Pharmacological methods to treat unhealthy personal habits are often noteffective and often cause undesired and sometimes harmful side effects.Psychological treatment is expensive and often proves ineffective overthe short or long run.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The general idea of the invention is a drug-free method of limiting oreliminating or unhealthy personal habits with the use of the speciallydesigned apparatus. Such a device may be a container storing thoseobjects that allow an individual to practice his unhealthy habit(cigarettes, food, alcohol, televisions, computers, credit cards, cash,checkbook, etc.), and a time controlled system limiting access to thiscontainer.

Objectives and Advanatges

The invention creates a drug free system that allows and individual to:

Quit smoking.

Limit drinking of alcoholic beverages or quit for good.

Loose weight and keep it off.

Reduce or quit gambling (by limiting the access to cash, checks andcredit cards).

Spend less money (by limiting the access to cash, checks and creditcards).

Save more money.

Reduce the addiction to television or the Internet (by time locking theplug of the power cable in the container).

And much more.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, closely related figures have the same number butdifferent alphabetic suffixes.

FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C shows respectively the perspective top view, frontview (with opened lid) and the side view of the apparatus in itspreferred embodiment.

FIG. 2 shows the block diagram of the present invention in its preferedembodiment.

FIG. 3 shows the flowchart of a microprocessor program used in thepresent invention in its preferred embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Herein, there follows a description of the principle method and anapparatus for drug free defeating unhealthy personal habits and itsimplementation:

Referring to FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C show a container 12 with atime driven access control system 14 equipped with a keyboard 16 whichallows to preset a desirable time interval. Optionally the apparatus maybe equipped with the display 18 to show the time interval when it isset. In the preferred embodiment the access control system 14 is basedon a microprocessor 20 controlling a circuit 22 which drives anelectromechanical lock 24 shown with its bolt 26 capable of engagingwith the suitable slot in the wall of the container 12. A time drivenaccess control systeml4 allows for an access to said container byturning the dial 28 manually and unlocking the lock only after a presettime interval expires and resets this time interval after each access tothe container 12.

Additionally the access control system 14 may increase this timeinterval by a preset value after each access to the container 12, ifsuch a value was preset. Optionally the apparatus may be equipped withthe handle 30 for portability, a drop slot 32 for credit cards or cashand a groove 34 that allows the user to place the plug of an electricalcord of any device inside the container. Some examples are: televisionset, computer, VCR or DVD player or other.

FIG. 2 shows the block diagram of the apparatus in its preferredembodiment. The access system 14 contains the microprocessor 20 whichcontrols the electronic circuit 22. This circuit 22 is driving theelectromechanical lock 24 that is enabling the access to the container12 (FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C) when the time interval preset with the use ofkeyboard 16 expires. Optionally the display 18 may be used to see thepreset time interval. The apparatus is powered by a battery pack 36, butmay also be powered by external power supply 38 or both.

FIG. 3 shows the flowchart of a microprocessor program of the apparatusin its preferred embodiment. After the apparatus is first time energizedthe user sets the desired time interval 42 and desired intervalincrement 44 with the keyboard 3 (FIG. 1A). The increment will increasethe preset time interval after each opening of the container unless thisincrement is set to zero. Time interval countdown 46 starts after it isset and the user may close 48 the container 12 (FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C).Now the container 12 can not be opened until the time interval expires50. In case the time did not expire the user has to wait for it tohappen. When it expires 50, the microprocessor driven system 14 (FIG. 1Band FIG. 2) enables 52 the user to activate the lock 24 (FIGS. 1B and 1Cand FIG. 2) by depressing 54 the designated key of the keyboard 16 (FIG.1A and FIG. 2) for suitable time to allow the user to open 56 thecontainer 12 by turning the dial 28 (FIGS. 1A and 1C). When thecontainer 12 is opened 56 the user may take 60 one of the itemscontained in the container. At the time of opening, the time interval isreset 58 and unless the interval increment is set to zero 62 the timeinterval is increased by the chosen increment 64. Then the countdownstarts again 46. When the user closes the container 12 it may not beopened until the new time interval expires.

CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATION AND SCOPE

The invention relates to a drug free method of defeating unhealthypersonal habits and its implementation with use of specially designedapparatus. The particular embodiment has been illustrated and describedin example only and is not intended to be limiting. It will be apparentto those skilled in art that various changes and modifications can bemade without departing from the scope of the present invention. It istherefore to encompass within the appended claims all such changes andmodifications that fall within the scope of the present invention.

1. A method of limiting and eliminating unhealthy personal habitscomprising the steps of: allowing an access to an object of saidunhealthy personal habits only after a preset time interval expires;increasing said time interval by a preset value after each said accessto said object; repeating above two steps as needed to achieve saidlimitation and said elimination of said unhealthy personal habit.
 2. Anapparatus for limiting and eliminating unhealthy personal habitscomprising: a container storing an object of an unhealthy personalhabit; a time driven access control system allowing access to saidcontainer only after a preset time interval expires.
 3. An apparatus ofclaim 2 where said time driven access control system is increasing saidtime interval by a preset value after each said access to saidcontainer.
 4. An apparatus of claim 2 where said access is limited toonly one said object of said unhealthy personal habit at a time.
 5. Anapparatus of claim 3 where said access is limited to only one saidobject of said
 6. An apparatus of claim 2 where said container isstoring means of access to said object of said unhealthy personal habitstored in another container.
 7. An apparatus of claim 3 where saidcontainer is storing means of access to said object of an unhealthypersonal habit stored in another container.